I Thought I was Tough
by zutara luver
Summary: Just a songfic about how Zuko thought he was tough before he met Katara you have to read the song to, it's actually intertwined with the story. edit: DragonJadefire suggested i turn it into an actual story, so the songfic is the prologue. Chap 3 up!Zutara
1. Prologue

this is just a really sad songfic. i recommend you go look up the song on youtube tho, it's really sad. make sure you read the song _with_ the words because unlike a lot of songfics, i actually include the song to intertwine with the story, in other words, the song is the story, instead of just relevent to it.

* * *

Zuko used to think he was pretty strong, that's when he met Katara. 

_She's in the kitchen at the crack of dawn__  
__Bacon's on, coffee's strong__  
_

She always had control over the kids, even if she didn't really.

_Kids running wild, taking off their clothes__  
__If she's a nervous wreck, well it never shows__  
__Takes one to football and one to dance__  
_

She could do everything, at least it seemed that way to him,

_Hits the Y for aerobics class__  
__Drops by the bank, stops at the store__  
__Has on a smile when I walk through the door__  
__The last to go to bed, she'll be the first one up__  
_

_And I thought I was tough_

_She's strong, pushes on, can't slow her down__  
_

She did everything for their little family. The maids were basically out of a job.

_She can take anything life dishes out__  
_

And a long time ago, before Zuko even met Katara, he actually thought he was tough.

_There was a time__  
__Back before she was mine__  
__When I thought I was tough_

A while back, there was some bad news in the family though.

_We sat there five years ago__  
__The doctors let us know the tests showed__  
_

Katara might die, and Zuko couldn't handle it.

_She'd have to fight to live, I broke down and cried__  
__She held me and said it's gonna be alright__  
_

She still got up every morning, and helped with the kids everyday. This news didn't effect her, she was still so strong.

_She wore that wig to church__  
_

She never lost hope.

_Pink ribbon pinned there on her shirt__  
__No room for fear, full of faith__  
__Hands held high, singing Amazing Grace__  
__Never once complained, refusing to give up__  
__And I thought I was tough_

She was just too strong.

* * *

sad huh? GO LOOK UP THE SONG ON YOUTUBE!!! and review!! reviewings good too. 


	2. The War is Over, Now Comes the Hard Part

this is chapter two of what i meant to be only a oneshot drabble, but the most awsome Dragon-Jadefire suggested i turn it into a story, so here is chapter two. honestly, i don't really like it. i feel like i repeated myself or something. oh well. tell me what you think. no flamers please. i'm still a n00b. this is going to be related to the songfic (basically the prologue) i'm not happy. i want a cookie.

A:TLA belongs to nick (i forgot the actual peoples names) and Viacom in other words, NOT ME!!! maybe if i wish upon a star...

* * *

The war was over. The war that had lasted 100 years had come to an end. Peace cannot be a perfect pearl though, and as the fighting stopped, brave mothers and wives and children came out to inspect the damage. Tears mixed with the blood and stained soldier's clothes. Many had survived, this is true, but many had also lost their lives.

It was at this time, of mourning and celebration, that a girl clad in red sat on a cliff edge, away from all the commotion. Even in the burgundy and wine colored apparel, blood stains were evident. She watched as the sun and moon kissed, changing places in the sky, creating an explosion of pinks and reds, yellows and oranges. The colors illuminated tear streaked cheeks.

"What's wrong Sugar queen?" A slightly younger and shorter girl walked to the cliff edge, milky white eyes staring at her, yet seeing nothing.

"You know what's weird Toph," Katara started, " when we're sad, we cry, but we also cry when we're happy. It doesn't really make sense." A smile graced her features, and Toph, satisfied with her answer walked away.

Katara continued to stair out at the orange colored sea, which mimicked the sky in a beautiful display of a yin and yang. She sighed and stood up, looking over all the dead bodies strewn on the battlefield. There was a mixture of all of the nation's colors (excluding yellow and orange), the fatalities touching every nation.

A squeal reached Katara's ears, and looking over to her rag-tag family, she saw Aang on one knee, holding out a simple grey necklace, only having carvings on it. Toph was crying too, and the words Katara had said only moments earlier resounded in her ears, "_When we're sad, we cry, but we also cry when we're happy."_ A bigger smile was plastered onto Katara's caramel colored face as she ran over to the rest of the group.

Sokka had a ghost of a smile on his features, and Katara was hit with the realization of his grief. He had supposedly lost two girlfriends, three if you counted Ty Lee, _and seeing this must make him so upset. _Before they had met Azula in Ba Sing Se, he had confided in her: Sokka was going to purpose to Suki when the war was over, or if they met up earlier. He knew the risks, but he was so eager, so ready, so afraid to lose another one he loved.

Katara felt the stinging of tears in the back of her eyes, yet she would not let them fall. "I'm going to go for a walk." Her friends did not contradict her. She needed to clear her head anyway. As she turned away, a gasp from her brother again forced her to investigate the cause (like the squeal from Toph). Out of the smoke and dust came a familiar figure. A redish-brown haired girl stepped into the clearing, her hair cropped short, fans in her hands, and a bit of smeared makeup. Suki was alive, and it was Sokka's turn to purpose.

A triumphant smirk on her face (it was more like a grin, smirks weren't her thing) she turned on her heal, seeing if she could heal any of the soldiers that were still clinging onto life. As she worked, she wondered about Zuko. He had joined their group a while before, and the deal was that they would work on the armies outside, while he went to destroy the man who had created so much misery. Aang had gone with him, and did the actual "destroying", while Zuko guided him there and kept most of the harm away from him.

When Aang had completed his task, he had not found Zuko. Aang had told the rest of the gang that Zuko had claimed to have some "unfinished business." It had really worried Katara. She just prayed to all her known spirits, (and some she had made up for good measure) that he was okay, and he had killed Azula and any of her minions, for that is what she thought when he said "unfinished business".

Katara worked for a few hours, until people finally caught on and brought the half alive to the hospital. As she finished one of the last alive still on the battle field, a tap on the shoulder brought her attention to a face she had hoped she would be able to see again. "Zuko," she breathed, and brought him into a hug that meant more that "You're okay!" For the third time that day, tears of joy ran down her cheeks.

"I need to talk to you." The sentence was so serious, Katara looked up. Zuko's face was slightly flushed. She wondered what was so worrying to him, "Can I show you something?"

Katara merely nodded and he grabbed her small hand and led her to a place behind the palace. As she peeked around the corner, she saw a perfectly pristine garden, Turtle-ducks swam happily, ignorant to the horrible atrocity that had just ensued. He brought her over to the pond, "This is where my mother and I used to sit, it meant something special." Zuko's eyes seemed to glaze a bit, and he looked far off, as if he was in a distant memory. He snapped back quickly. "I thought this would be the best place to do this."

Katara watched as he kneeled down and took a burgundy box out of his tattered robe. He opened it slowly, and the words he said would change her life forever: "Katara, will you marry me?" Inside the box was the most beautiful pendant she had ever seen. A moon and sun were carved on blue and red stone, blue coloring the moon, red the sun. It was the perfect display of their yin and yang, complimentary opposites.

She smiled, one that he would die for, and one that would bring him back to life. "Yes." she whispered, and they shared their first kiss. It was like fireworks exploding in their heads, the immense feeling of joy fueling the feeling. Zuko had kissed Mai, but is was just mashing lips together, it was as boring as she was, but this, this was his soul, his inner fire. It was as surprising and beautiful as she was, and for her it was the same. It was so different, yet so similar. It was their life and death, the sun and moon, fire and water. It was their yin and yang.

When they separated, the feeling of immense love was still there, and as they strode out of the pristine garden, a new leaf had been turned.

When they had told the group the news, everyone had smiled, Toph said "Finally!" and laughter followed. What no one noticed until later was that all of the benders of the group was going to marry their complimentary opposite.

But when Katara and Zuko and even Aang and Toph explained, Sokka still freaked out about his baby sister marrying Angry-jerk, issuing death threats and that sort. Katara didn't even care, and kissed her fiancée full on the lips, Sokka almost fainted. After a little bit of flirtatious persuasion, Suki finally got Sokka to consent to the yin-yang marriage. It was the dawning of a new time, one of political changes, a love that could endure anything, and hard times no one would be able to guess.

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good? bad? TELL ME!! i love critics and reviewers, flamers are evil, 


	3. Aw Maaan!

i'm not happy i really don't like this chappy trust me, next chapter will be the meeting with hakoda... unless i do another meaningless filler chappy, but this one did input a key component... oh well, i still don't like it.

if A:TLA was mine, there would be pink elephants (and not just in dumbo!)

* * *

As night wore on, Katara kept thinking about her brother's forced blessing. _If it wasn't for over-active teenage hormones, we could have never married. What if father's like that?_ That was the thought that worried her most. If her father didn't consent to the marriage, it just wouldn't happen. She loved Zuko, and hoped that that would be enough for her father. She was lucky that her brother even said yes. In Water Tribe customs, the oldest male child and father must consent to the daughter(s) wedding(s). 

Zuko had that same thought buzzing in his mind. He loved Katara, and he wouldn't know what to do if he didn't have her in his life. It was definitely a case of love at… 8th site. He had joined their group in a rush. Zuko had basically thrown the Fire Nation plans at them, in exchange for helping him fight for his uncle's freedom. Toph was immediately on bored. A friend of Toph's meant that you were forced to go along. It was the fact that he was the prince of a nation that was so bloodthirsty and ruthless; it was hard to explain that he was not the same. He might resemble his father, but he would never act like him.

"Zuko?" Katara's voice pierced his thoughts, "I don't know if father will give his blessing." She brought her eyes downwards, like she was about to cry.

"I know." He brought her into a comforting hug. She curled up her arms and cried into his chest. She was a wreck right now. She had fought in a war that had caused her so much pain, and now it had repercussions. Katara was 14; she didn't need to be in this. "Come on, you need your rest." He guided her to a well know family.

"Yes? Oh! Zuko! You've gotten so big! How long has it been? A few months…?" an old lady answered the door; her wavering voice almost a stereotype.

"It's been longer than that." Zuko answered. He held no humor in his voice as the old woman beckoned them in, Katara was met with a spectrum of smells from spicy foods, and sweet deserts to almost putrid gag me with a spoon smells. "May we sleep here tonight Miyazka?"

"Oh of course! Who is your lady friend, where is she from?" Zuko was bombarded with questions he did not wish to answer at that moment. It must have been getting late. He felt his power diminishing. "Oh! I'm sorry! Here, I'll get the futons."

Zuko let out another ghost of a smile. Wow, three times in one day, it was a new record! Katara looked at him with her big, glassy, blue orbs. "You're smiling again. What's wrong with you?" Katara joked.

"I'm in love." This time he let out another smile, this one evident as the two eyebrows on his face… oh, sorry. He leaned down and captured her lips once more. It was only a peck, but Katara felt her world melt away. This was what love was; it was only the two of them in a crowded room. It was pure bliss.

"Ahem." Katara and Zuko were both snapped back to the harsh reality that they had so much more to get through. Well, Zuko was more aware and was the first to break the kiss. Katara stood there with her eyes closed for only a moment, as if savoring a taste and feeling like she would never experience it again. When she did open her eyes she saw the angular features of her love and followed the direction of his eyes to the door, which was where her brother stood, hands on hips with a rant coming as an inevitable.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MY SISTER?!?!?!?!?" Sokka yelled. It was as if he had a memory lapse or something, making him unable to recollect his consent to their marriage, and the fact that they were engaged.

"Um… Kissing?" it was more of a question than a statement.

"WHY?!?!?!"

"Because we're engaged." Zuko stated like it was the most obvious fact in the world, which in fact it was. He pointed to the amber and midnight blue pendant on Katara's neck, "See?"

Sokka paused for a moment. "But you're still not married, and therefore cannot, um… get busy." He had a definite look of disgust on his face.

Katara looked appalled, Zuko took on a grimace, "I'm 17, I'm ready to get married, not to do, _that_." He looked at Katara for support. She nodded with fervor.

"Besides, I told you before; we'll just be engaged until I turn 16." She stated. Hopefully he wasn't going to make another scene.

"Wait, how old are you?" Zuko looked at her with a puzzled look.

"14, why?"

"Uh… 14 is marring age in the Fire Nation. For both genders." Zuko rubbed the back of his head and took a glance at Katara's fuming brother.

"WHAT?!?!?!?!!?!!?? NO NO NO NO NO NO!!! If you guys are going to get _married_ then we will go by Water Tribe rules, NOT UNTIL SHE'S 16!!!" Sokka huffed. Zuko didn't really care what he said though, so he looked at Katara, it was her opinion that mattered.

"What ever makes you comfortable." Zuko said with a shrug to his beloved. Katara beamed and lay down on the futon the older woman had set out prior to the large uproar emanating from her brother.

As night grew on, fatigue was piled on Zuko. From the day's events and the annoying half wit that was Katara's brother, Zuko had nothing left. As soon as he lay on his futon, he was out like a candle in the ocean. Zuko didn't necessarily want to sleep though. He wanted to stay up and comfort his soon-to-be wife. She was so upset at how her brother had acted and was more than worried that her father was going to react the same way.

A small whimper escaped her and woke up the sleeping form next to her. "Wuzzamadder?" Zuko slurred words shattered the silence of the night. He rubbed his tired eyes and looked over to Katara's slightly shaking form. He took his arm and wrapped it around her shoulders, using the other one as Katara's head rest.

"I'm worried." He looked down at her with half lidded eyes. Tear stained cheeks were shining with the glow of the moon. "What if father says no?" Zuko I love you, and I don't want to lose you." She looked away; as Zuko leaned down to kiss her.

"Don't worry, we'll get through this." As Katara looked up, all she saw were the pools of molten amber that was his eyes. They seemed to glow brighter in the dark, and all she saw in them was a sincere love.

ZKZKZKZKZKZKZKZKZKZKZKZ

As dawn broke, light streaked across Katara's face causing her to stir. She rolled over and realized that her beloved was not where she left him. Instead, there was a message on a small scroll that read

_Dear Katara,_

_I have been called away on an urgent errand to the South Pole. It seems there have been several attacks from the Polar Tiger-Bears. I understand you must help the Fire Nation, but as soon as you are done, I would hope you would come back as soon as possible._

_Love,_

_Father_

Katara felt the stinging of hot tears in her eyes. He wanted her to come home, but she wanted to marry Zuko and stay here. A single tear smudged the _e_ in possible and the ink smeared off to the side of the parchment. _Has Zuko read this? _The sudden realization hit her hard. She ran out of the small hut in search of her Zuko.

ZKZKZKZKZKZKZKZKZKZKZKZKZ

Zuko sat on the hard stone in front of the Turtle-Duck pond. Throwing miniscule bread crumbs into the murky water, he saw the Turtle-Ducks grab it and swim away. He had indeed read the letter sent via Carrier Pigeon. _We have to try anyway._ His mind chanted like a mantra.

"Zuko?" said person didn't turn. He stared into his befuddled reflection on the water. Katara sat down next to him and leaned her head on his shoulder. Zuko instantly knew she was more upset at this then he was. He knew what the letter really meant, but she's the one who had to bear it.

He embraced her as she cuddled up to his chest and silently wept. He murmured sweet nothings into her ear and both of them knew that they would both have to go to the South Pole.

He kissed the top of her head as they got up to prepare the long sea voyage as Aang and his bison had already flown to Toph's parents to get their consent also. It was going to be hard, and many would look down upon them, but they both made a soundless oath to themselves and each other. They would have to go through some hard trials, but they had to be together, and they would both do whatever it took to get there.

* * *

this is turning out to be a really cliched story. please tell me what you think! everytime you don't review an evil flying monky from the wicked witch of the west abducts a cute little girl with read sparkly shoes. 

btw all of the "customs" are the happentings of an overactive imagination


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